Program PPP Economics

The following shows how the program could be tailored to fit your needs
in each phase of your research project:

Example CentER PPP Program

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Years 4-8

PhD research

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Research methodology (1 course; compulsory)

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Subject-specific courses (1 course per semester; optional)

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Practical skills (1 course; optional)

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Supervision

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Facilities

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It is an intensive part-time program with an estimated workload of 12 to
16 hours a week. From your application to your thesis defense, the program will
typically take six years, unless you have already been awarded a Research Master’s
degree or an MPhil. In that case, the program is more likely to be five years
in length.

As a PhD student, you are expected to acquire additional knowledge and
skills in support of your research by means of general and subject-specific
courses. All courses are taught in English.

Research methodology

You will need general knowledge of research methodology – both theory
and skills – to be able to perform high-quality academic research. Therefore,
in the first year of the program you are required to follow and pass at least
one basic course.

Examples of such basic courses are: Empirical Research in Economics, or
Empirical Research in Business. These are existing courses in the Research
Master’s curriculum of the Graduate School. Courses about alternative
methodology may apply in Operations Research and Information Management. For
reasons of interactivity, we recommend that all PhD students attend the
research methodology courses at the university.

PhD students who have already been awarded a Research Masters' degree or
an MPhil may be exempted from parts of the research methodology courses by the program's Admission Committee in consultation with your prospective supervisor.

Subject-specific courses

You may also, at your own choosing, pursue a limited number of, in
principle, two subject-specific courses within one of the following tracks:

Business tracks:

Accounting

Finance

Information Management

Marketing

Operations Research

Organization & Strategy

Economics tracks:

Econometrics

Macroeconomics

Microeconomics

These courses should be relevant to your PhD research and would
preferably be part of the second year of the program.

In addition to these courses, you can participate in workshops, in-house
seminars, and symposia, which are organized on a regularly basis by CentER.

Practical skills

You will receive the following practical skills training and support,
provided that we have a sufficiently large student intake:

Academic writing

Academic publishing

How to handle academic literature (collect, read,
judge, and process, including APA guidelines)

Use of library, documentation centers and databases
(including paper-based and electronic access to primary and secondary sources)

Time management

Acquisition of computer skills that are directly
relevant for the research project (e.g. Matlab and Stata courses)

Please note that most courses and training modules are offered only once
a year.

Study and
Supervision Plan

Full details of your program will be set out in your individual Study
and Supervision Plan. This plan includes matters such as the courses to be
completed, and the way in which supervision will take place. At the end of each
year, your supervisor will invite you for an evaluation interview.

Please note that the
program does not create the obligation for Tilburg University to grant a
doctorate. Neither does it create the right for you to obtain a doctorate.